Steele: GOP won't win House

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele predicted Monday night that the GOP will not regain control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections.

Steele said during an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity that Republicans will see some “nice pick-ups in the House” but would not predict the number of seats the GOP will win. “I can't give a number yet,” Steele said. “We are just now beginning to look at races.”

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Asked if Republicans will retake the House, Steele responded: “Not this year.” Steele added: “We still have vacancies that need to get filled. “If we do that, are we ready? I don't know. That's what I'm assessing and evaluating now.”

While Steele was less than confident that Republicans could take back power in Congress in 2010, he did say that conservatives have been presented with an excellent opportunity this year to build momentum. “I don't think there is a better moment for conservatives than right now,” he said. “I think this is an opportunity for us to speak truth to power in a way in which we are leading not obstructing, but giving Americans the pathway they need to self-empowerment.”

"The NRCC's goal - as the campaign arm of the House Republican Conference - has always been to recapture the majority in 2010. Independent political analysts and even liberal columnists have stated that Republicans have a very real shot at taking back the majority in 2010. Make no mistake about it, we are playing to win," said Ken Spain, NRCC Communications Director.